Shirts Update

About time really! I promised a plaids shirt on April 1st and I bet you all thought that was an April fool’s joke by now. I nearly believed it too until I finally got started last week and the shirt’s project is now well and truly underway.

I’ve matched plaids before – with trousers– but the process is quite similar for shirts. I’ve actually followed Lauren’s tutorialwhich was really straightforward. Yes, that makes the cutting process a bit of a chore but difficult it isn’t. I’ve cut my front bands, pockets, pocket flaps, front and back yokes on the bias to break up the lines. No eccentric Design Closeup combinations on this project, I’m sticking to a good-old fashioned plaids shirt. This is what I intend to do anyway although you never what might happen between now and the end of this project. I’ve still got to sew the collar and collar band, front bands, sleeves, cuffs and all the usual finishing touches but I’ve got quite a bit of spare time for the rest of this week so I’m confident I’ll be able to reveal the full shirt sometime next week.

Here are the buttons I’ve chosen for this project…

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I’m having a dilemma about the sleeves. Should I go for three-quarter sleeves instead? (Why do I have this idea in my head? By the way I’m working on McCall’s 6044 for this shirt which explains why you see a sleeve front and a sleeve back on the picture below.)

Now I’d really like to do a proper summer shirt for myself very soon but before I get to do that, here is a glimpse of the fabric I’ll soon be working with for my friend Clorinda…

I love the retro feel of this cotton fabric. The shirt will have puffed sleeves and a Peter Pan collar and I will also draw my own pattern to design Clorinda’s shirt. I’ve done it before for a couple of shirts of mine but time to stretch myself and see if I can do a good job for someone else.